It is a beautiful sight to behold an African mother with her child on her back.
There are many reasons for this.
One is that it creates a bond between the mother and child. This is one of those reasons amongst many why the African is deeply conscious of his or her mother. It could be termed by the psychoanalysts as as some sort of electra or maybe oedipal complex. However, I bed to defer here for while Carl Jung and his associates see some sort comflict inherent in thie described complxies, in this bonding between the African mother and the child on her back, there is soul unity and peace.
Further, the matriarchal concept on a larger sphere generates that communial sphere around the African. The concept of the extended family system and why in all aridity and even in disenchantment, Africans still call and regard each other as brothers and sisters; This is no matter the tribe or belief disfferences.
Secondly, this is how the African developes rythm his and her life style. This is manifest in our music, dancing and sports. The bouncing rythmn of mamas backsides as she walks with us on her back generates this rythmn which the African grows up with.
The convinience of this method of child carriage can not be over simplfied. As mama works and does her daily chores which as the wpoman the world over never ends, with the child on her back, her hands are left free to do her works, be it domestic or professional like the mama in the picture.
The greater aspect of this back carriage by the African woman is that it feel and appreciate the power and unquestionable importance of the woman in the society or community. It is a sort of breaking of the child, just like horse riders break the horse, by the mother. Strapping the child and literary imprisoning it on her back is a way of telling the child who is the boss. The child stays there as long as the mother wants, until she releases it.
One great advantage of this back lapping of the child by the wonderful African mother is that immediately a restive child arrives on its mother back it simply rests. In most cases it is instant sleep.
of course one can see that from the above fotos that other cultures have started copying this beautiful culture. Let no one come tomorrow to tell us that it started from another continent. it is a typical African invention, which virtually every African child enjoyed.
